Means for supplying water to rock drills and the like



Aug. 28, 1928. 1,682,438

J. H, STLJTHRIDGE T AL umus FOR suP-PLYfNe WATER TO ROCK'DRILLIS AND was LIKE Filgd March 24, 192? Patented Aug. 28, 1928.

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

JAMES HENRY STU'IHRIDGE AN D THOMAS MOXHAY HACK, OF JOHANNESBURG, f

TRANSVAAL, SOUTH AFRICA.

MEANS FOR SUPPLYING WATER TO BOOK DRILLS AND THE LIKE.

Application filed larch 2A, 1927, Serial No. 177,966, and in the Union of South Africa May 25, 1926.

The invention relates to means for supplying water to rock-drills or rock-drilling machines, et cetera, of the kind in which the wateris conveyed through the drill steel, bit or jumper to, or to a point in proximity to, the cutting end thereof, while the machines are in operation.

One object of the present invention is to construct simple and eflicient means which, while allowing of the free passage of the water to the longitudinal or axial hole through the drill steel, bit or jumper, willpreclude the escape of water in either a forward or, and more particularl a backward direction, and so prevent t e water from entering the front head, cylinder, or other operative parts of the drill or machlne.

A further object is to devise means which will, if desired, obviate the necessity for machining or turning the drill shank or portion thereof around which the parts of the device are arranged, or so that a rough or plain rolled or forged drill steel can be used or have the invention applied to it with satisfactory results.

Means according to the invention may be termed a floating, automatic, water-tight packing device, which surrounds the drill steel. bit or jumper and revolves therewith.

The invention will be more fully explained in connection with the accompanying sheet of drawings, illustrating two practical embodiments of the same. In the drawings,

Fig. 1 is a plan view of a front portion of a rock-drill, with the invention applied thereto.

Fig. 2 is a front elevation of Fig. 1.

Fig. 3 is a central sectional elevation of the device, showing the drill steel, bit or jumper in position therein.

a Fig. 4 is a view similar to Fig. 3, illustrating a slightly modified form of the invention, and

Fig. 5 is a sectional view of portion of the device, illustrating an alternative detail of construction.

Referring more particularly to that embodiment of the invention represented in Figs. 1, 2, and3, the water supplying means or device includes what we may designate a water head 1, which ma as shown, be made as a separate or detac able part from the front head 2 of the machine, and be attached to the front end thereof bymeans of the ordinary longitudinal side bolts 3, for

which purpose the water head 1 may be constructed with lugs 4 to receive the ends of the bolts 3; screwed on to the bolts 3 at opposite sides of the lugs 4. The water head 1 could, if desired, be constructed integral with the front head 2. The front end of the water head 1 is shown provided with a screwthread to receive a screw-threaded cap or member 6, which is constructed in its front portion to serve as a guide 7 for the front portion of the shank 8 of the drill steel 9. Both the cap or member 6 and the water head 1 are constructed interiorly with raised surfaces 10 for a purpose hereinafter referred to.

The rear portion 11 of the shank of the drill steel may, as usual, he of square crosssection to engage with the ordinary rotation sleeve 12. 13 is the longitudinal waterpassage or hole through the drill steel or bit 9, and 14 a transverse hole formed in the portion 8 of the shanlgand communicating with the longitudinal hole 13. As shown in Fig. 5 the cap or member 6 forming the front guide for the portion 8 of the shank of the drill may be fitted with a renewable wearing bush or liner 15, shown fashioned with.

a flanged inner end 16, on which flange a raised surface, similarto the surface 10 on the cap or member 6, is provided.

The head 1 is constructed with a water inlet branch 17 for making connection with the water supply pipe-mot shown. The interior of the water head 1 provides a water space or chamber 18 around the parts of the device which surround the portion 8 of the shank of the drillrsteel or bit 9 and rotate with it within the water head 1. The inlet throughthe branch 17 communicates with the water space 18 in the head 1. The rear end of the portion 8 of the shank of the drill is made so as to be a loose fit in the head 1, and a plurality of radial ports or passages 19 are shown formed in the rear endof the head 1 to allow of the ready escape of any air that may leak in a forward direction, so

5 being the retaining nuts precluding it from entering the water head 1. The head 1 at the rear end is shown constructed with a projection 20 adapted to project into the front end of the front head 2 of the machine to centre the device.

lVithin the water head 1 is arranged the automatic, water-tight. packing means which includes two 0) ositely disposed rings .21, 22, of indimru b r comprising inner and outer parts connected together it the outer ends. or in the form of U or ordinary hydraulic packing rings. These rings 21, 22, surround the enlarged portion 8 of the shank of the drill steel, bit or jumper 9 and are positioned with their open inner ends facing or opposite each other. The rings 21, 22, are enclosed or housed in a cylindrical casing 23 which they more or less tit, and which may he made of brass or other suitable noncorrosive material, and is exteriorly somewhat smaller than the interior of the water head 1 so forming the annular water space 18. The cylindrical casing 23, in this form of the invention, is constructed interiorly with a central annular projection 21 which forms a distance piece between the inner ends of the packing rings 21, The casing 23 is formed with a central peripheral groove 25 and with a central internal annular recess 26 in the projection 2st. A ring or plurality of holes 27 are provided leading from the bottom of the groove 2? to the internal annular recess 26. The transverse hole 14: in the portion 8 of the shank of the drill steel is in communication with the recess 28 in the normal operation of the machine, so that the water is free to pass from the water space 18 through the groove 25, radial holes 27 and recess 26 to said hole 14-, and thence along the longitudinal hole 13 to the cutting end of the drill 9.

A plurality of lateral holes or passages 28 are formed in the projection 24, leading from the groove 25 to the sides of the projection 2a in front of the open ends of the packing ring 21, 22. Through these holes or passages 28 water is free to pass to the interior of the packing rings 21, 22.

In the ends of the casing 23 and abutting the outer ends of each of the indiarubber packings 21, 22, antifriction washers 29, 30. are placed, which may be of vulcanite, ebonite, phosphor bronze, or any other suitable metal or material. The washers 29, 30, are preferably a loose lit in the ends of the casing 23 and around the portion 8 of the shank of the drill steel or hit 9. The wash ers 25), 30, contact with the raised surfaces 10 at the opposite ends of the water space 18 in the water head 1 and make water-tight joints therewith.

It follows from the foregoing description that the cylindrical casing 23, together with the packing rings 21, 22, and the anti-friction washers 29, 30, all rotate freely with the drill steel or hit 9 in the water head 1, and that the action of the pressure fluid on the packing rings 21', 22, makes the fluidtight joint around the portion 8 of the shank of the drill steel or hit 9 and between the washers 29, 30, and the raised surfaces 10, and so precludes the escape of the water along the outside of the portion 8 of the shank of the drill steel in either direction,

whilst allowing the various parts which are housed within the water head 1 to rotate freely with the drill steel or bit t).

In the modified form of the invention shown in Fig. -i the cylindrical casing is constructed in three separate parts or sections. namely two end sections 31, 32, and an intermediate central section 33. Each of the end sections forms a housing t'or one of the hydraulic packing rings 21. 22, and Said end sections 251, 552, are ('Ul'lFil'llttttl at their outer ends with inwardly directed flanges 34, 35, respectively, which serve as or take the place of the loose anti-friction washers 2.), 30, ot the construction illustrated in Figs. 1 to 3. If desired, anti-triction washers may be provided in addition to or in lieu of the flanges 34,

The intermediate or centre section 33 is provided with the preferably radial holes 27 through which the water can pass from the water chamber 18 provided in the water head 1 to the transverse hole 14 in the portion 8 of the shank of the drill steel. This centre section 13 is grooved peripherally at 271, and lateral holes 28 are formed through both side: ot said section 38 connnunicating with the radial holes 27 to allow of the passage of the water from the water space 18 to the interior of the hydraulic packings 21.

The screwed cap 6 of the 'ater head 1 is shown provided at the front end with a renewable screwed bush 36 to provide the front guide tor the portion 8 of the shank ol' the drill steel or hit.

As is shown in dotted lines in connection with the hydraulic packing ring 2] in Fig. 3, helical or coiled spring 37 may be arranged inside either or both of the hydraulic packing rings 21, 22, so that said springs- 37 will aid the water pressure to force the antifriction washers 29, 30, the more tightly against the raised portions 10 at the ends of the water space 18. Obviously springs, such as 557, could be used in conjunction with the. modified form of the invention shown in Fig. 4.

lly providing the raised surfaces it] on the inner ends of the water head i. and by reducing the outer ends of the end sections ll, 32, as indicated at 33. the pressure of the water in the water space 18 can act on portions oi the washers 29, 30, or end sections 31, 32, and so counteract any excess of pressure that may be put on the washers 29, 30, or flanges 3 1, 35, by the action of the water pressure on the hydraulic packing rings 21, 22.

What we claim as our invention and desire to protect by Letters Patent is:

1. Means for supplying water to rockdrills, including an outer stationary member which provides a water space and through which member the drill steel passes, two oppositely disposed hydraulic packing rings ltttl arranged around the drill steelyand a casing which forms a housing for the packing rings, is loosely and completely housed in the stationary member, and is provided with passages through which the Water can pass from the water space into the packing rings and to the drill steel, the packing rings and casing being rotatable with the drill steel in the stationary member, so that the outer transverse facesof the casing contact with the inner transverse faces of the housing to make the fluid-tight joint between the ends of the casing and the stationary member by the pressure of the fluid, as set forth.

2. Means for supplying water to rockdrills, including an outer stationary member which provides a water space and through which member the drill steel passes, two oppositely disposed hydraulic packing rings arranged around the drill steel, and a casing in which are housed the packing rings and which is loosely and completely housed in the stationary member and allows the water to pass from the water space into the packing rings and to the drill steel, the ends of the casing with the packing rings being able to move independently against transverse rigid jointing faces provided on the inner ends of the housing so that the fluid pressure automatically makes the joints between the pairs of transverse jointing faces between the casing and the stationary member, as set forth.

3. Means for supplying water to rockdrills, including a stationary water head through which the drill steel passes, two oppositely disposed hydraulic packing rings arranged around the drill steel, a casing which forms a housing for the packing rings, is loosely and completely housed in the water head and is provided with passages through which the water can pass from the water head to the packing rlngs and to the drill steel, and anti-friction washers arranged between the ends of the packing rings and the inner ends of the water head, the packing rings and casing being rotatable with the drill steel in the water head, so that the outer transverse faces of the washers contact with the inner transverse faces of the water head to make the fluidtight joint between the washers and the water head by the pressure of the fluid, as set forth.

anti-friction washers arranged between the ends of the packing rings and the inner ends of the water head, the packing rings and easing being rotatable with the drill steel in the water head, so that the outer transverse faces of the washers contact with the inner transverse faces of the water head to make the fluid-tight joint between the washers and the water head by the pressure of the fluid, as set forth.

5. Means for supplying Water to rockdrills, including a stationary water head through which the drill steel passes, two oppositely disposed hydraulic packing rings arranged around the drill steel, a casing which forms a housing for the packing rings, is loosely and completely housed in the water, head and is constructed with an internal an nular rib which forms a distance piece between the packing rings, and through which internal rib passages are formed to allow the water to pass from the water head into the packing rings and to the drill steel, and antifriction washers arranged between the ends of the packing rings and the inner ends of the water head, the packing rings and casing being rotatable with the drill steel in the water head, the inner ends of the water head being constructed with raised surfaces with which the anti friction washers rotate in contact, so that the outer transverse faces of the washers contact with the inner transverse faces of the water head to make the fluid-tight joint between the washers and the water head by the pressure of the fluid, as set forth. I i

In testimony whereof we have signed our names to this specification.

JAMES HENRY STUTHRIDGE. THOMAS MOXHAY HACK. 

